About Us

The Atlanta History Center was founded on the big ideas and relentless fascination of 14 Atlantans who were emphatic about our city’s historical relevance in society. In a sense, our organization was created by Atlanta’s biggest fans, and we love that detail. In 1926, these founding members introduced the Atlanta Historical Society into the world with one mission: to help preserve Atlanta’s history. In 1990, after decades of collecting, researching, publishing and celebrating the early stories of our great Southern community, the Atlanta Historical Society and all of its holdings officially became the Atlanta History Center.

Learn more about how we make history today through our member publication, History Matters!

Strategic Plan

In 2016, Atlanta History Center developed a new strategic plan that aligns with our vision statement to connect people, history, and culture. Our strategic plan guides us to become a more inclusive institution, a community resource and connector, a best in class institution for our guests, more relevant in today's quickly changing world, and an institution with the financial strength to continue to improve our organization’s performance and ability to serve our community for years to come.

Executive Staff

Susana Braner

Paul Carriere

Paul Carriere is Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Legal Affairs of the Atlanta History Center.

As COO, Paul leads the operations side of the History Center, including strategic planning, finance, guest experience, special events and human resources. Prior to joining the History Center, Paul spent almost nine years at the American Cancer Society. During his time with the Cancer Society, Paul held key leadership positions with the Cancer Society’s South Atlantic Division, its largest division in revenue and staff, including Chief Counsel and subsequently Senior Vice President for Operations. As SViP for Operations, Paul served in the second highest leadership position for the division. And he was responsible for leading day-to-day operations, including fundraising and mission delivery.

Before he joined the Cancer Society, Paul was General Counsel for EzGov, Inc., an Atlanta-based software solutions company, an associate in the Atlanta office of Troutman Sanders LLP and a law clerk to Judge Davison the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Paul has law degree from Tulane Law School and a B.A. in History from the University of Texas.

Paul Crater

Vice President of Collections and Research ServicesBio | Email | 404.814.4049

I manage the Kenan Research Center, the library and archives division of the Atlanta History Center.

I love the Atlanta History Center because of our collections and the dedication and creativeness of my colleagues.

Sheffield Hale

F. Sheffield Hale is President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center. Prior to joining the Atlanta History Center in 2012 he served as Chief Counsel of the American Cancer Society, Inc. and was a Partner practicing corporate law in the firm of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.

Mr. Hale serves as a Trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Fox Theatre, Inc., Buckhead Coalition, Midtown Alliance, and Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is a Past Chair of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the Atlanta History Center, St. Jude’s Recovery Center, Inc., and the State of Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission.

Mr. Hale received his B.A. in History from the University of Georgia summa cum laude in 1982, and received his J.D. in 1985 from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a member of the American Law Institute.

Hillary Hardwick

Calinda Lee, Ph.D.

Vice President of Historical Interpretation and Community Partnerships Bio | Email | 404.814.2056

I consider historical interpretation for all aspects of the region’s past to develop the Atlanta History Center’s primary collections, historic houses, historic gardens, and public programs. I am particularly focused on innovative projects that connect Atlantans’ current concerns to history in meaningful, personal, and often surprising ways.

I love the Atlanta History Center because we are story-keepers! Every day, I get to learn and share new stories about this fascinating city and its people.

Educated at Spelman College (BA), New York University (MA) and Emory University (MA and PhD), Calinda N. Lee serves the executive team as historian for the Atlanta History Center. In this role, she consider historical interpretation for all aspects of the region’s past to develop the AHC’s primary collections, historic houses, historic gardens, and public programs. As a scholar and administrator, she has held teaching and administrative positions at Emory University, Loyola University Chicago and Spelman College. A prolific practitioner, she has developed projects for institutions including the Albuquerque Museum, the City Museum of Washington, DC, the Maryland Museum for African American Life and History, the Chicago History Museum, Emory University, and others.

She is particularly focused on innovative projects that connect Atlantans’ current concerns to history in meaningful, personal, and often surprising ways. It is her deep belief that scholarship must be intimately linked with community to be of greatest service: “I try to make history personal every day, to connect lessons from the past to living in the present and planning for the future.”

Sarah Roberts

I direct the talented Gardens team and work on developing our gardens and forest to the highest standards of a botanical garden through landscape design and capital projects, plant and animal collections, interpretation, preservation, and collaboration on programs and partnerships.

I love the Atlanta History Center because of our combination of museum, public garden, research center and horticultural library; it allows for a much broader understanding of our past, with fascinating and diverse programs and exhibits both indoors and outside.

Michael Rose

I supervise the research, interpretation, and presentation of collections and exhibitions, including historic houses and gardens.

I love the Atlanta History Center because it lets individuals better understand themselves, their neighbors, their environment, and their lives.

Michael Rose is Executive Vice President of the Atlanta History Center, responsible for the institution’s interpretive and research content, including the Kenan Research Center, historic houses, historic gardens, exhibitions, and the library, archives, museum, and living collections.

Mr. Rose serves on boards of the Georgia Archives Institute, Southern Architecture Foundation, Istanbul Center of Atlanta, and Daguerreian Society, is a past board member of the Southeastern Registrars Association and the Library Council of the Atlanta Regional Council on Higher Education.

He is a Fellow of the Winterthur Museum Institute and has served as a consultant to the American Alliance of Museums’ Museum Assessment Program.

Mr. Rose is the author of seven publications, including Atlanta Scenes; Atlanta: A Portrait of the Civil War; Atlanta: Then and Now; Historic Photos of Atlanta; and Lost Atlanta.

Since 1997, Mr. Rose has been the curator of over twelve exhibitions, including Captured by the Camera; Exploration and Discovery in Mapping Georgia, 1493 - 1921; Sherman’s Photographer: Scenes of Civil
War Atlanta; I Have a Dream: The Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection (co-curator); In the Classical Tradition: Designs by Philip Trammell Shutze; Eudora Welty: Exposures and Reflections (local component); and Atlanta's Book: The Lost “Gone With the Wind” Manuscript.

Jeff Rutledge

Cheri Snyder

I lead the Atlanta History Center’s development team in support of the organization’s fundraising efforts including capital and major gifts, membership and annual fund, special events, and programmatic sponsorships.

I love the Atlanta History Center’s role as storyteller. Famous names and common folk – we all have a story worth sharing.

Kate Whitman

Media & Press Inquiries

Howard Pousner

I manage media relations for Atlanta History Center, working with reporters, editors, and producers for publications, radio and TV, web sites, and bloggers with their stories on our diverse institution.

I like that Atlanta History Center teaches lessons of the past, but meanwhile embraces the present as it boldly charges into the future.

Chris Orchard

Laurie Stevens

I coordinate all daily functions and operations at the Atlanta History Center’s Midtown campus. I focus on admissions, tours, group tours, and customer service. I also act as gift shop and retail manager and assist all departments and their programs as they are hosted here.

I love the Atlanta History Center because the passion shared by both our guests and colleagues is exhilarating every day.

Membership & Development

Cam Argotsinger

I work to build our membership and create special member events to show our appreciation of our member’s generosity. Our member’s generosity makes it possible for the Atlanta History Center to thrive as a cultural institution.

Kandis Kerr

I help manage and maintain membership information and other donor data, as well as supporting all correspondences and member needs through mail, email, and by phone. I also help with membership and other donor programs.

I love the Atlanta History Center because I'm part of an organization that celebrates so much arts and culture and education.

Kenan Research Center

Anna Woten

I care for our collection of almost 57,000 museum objects spread across our campuses and facilitate incoming collections loans for exhibits. I’m also frequently at the Reference Desk in the Kenan Research Center. So, if you come in for research, you’ll probably see me!

I love the Atlanta History Center because I get to surround myself with amazing collections and work with people who love history as much as I do!

Staci Catron

I specialize in the subject areas of American landscape history and historic preservation. I manage the preservation and interpretation of the Cherokee Garden Library collection, including rare books, manuscripts, landscape architectural drawings, seed catalogs, and more.

I love the Atlanta History Center because I'm a passionate history and plant geek!

Erica Hague

I care for, monitor conditions of, locate, and handle the nearly 57,000 museum objects in our collection that are spread across our campuses. I also handle loans of collections items and help researchers.

I love the Atlanta History Center because I get to geek out about history all day with fellow nerds.

Jena Jones

Leah Lefkowitz

I manage over 1100 manuscript collections at the Kenan Research Center by keeping the materials organized, overseeing preservation, and cataloging new donations. In addition, I assist with reference and work with donors.

I love the Atlanta History Center because I participate in the protection and the dissemination of Atlanta’s rich past.

Felicia Render

I manage and provide access to the visual collections at the Atlanta History Center.

I love the Atlanta History Center because I am passionate about preserving different aspects of culture expressed in visual images and the use of technology to manage cultural heritage resources. Our visual collections provide creative inspiration through the lens of history!

Emily Roberts

I manage the plant life on the Smith Family Farm and use the gardens as a tool for understanding what life on a slave-holding farm in the 1860’s would be like. When I’m not in the dirt, I’m researching 19th-century foodways and agriculture to inform my growing practices.

I love the Atlanta History Center because we have so many different ways for people to engage with their past. I especially love when guests share their vegetable gardening experiences and memories with me when they come to the farm.

Valerie VanSweden

Hands down, I have the best job at the Atlanta History Center! I get to revitalize the children’s outdoor experience, research, lead tours, write, design, work with a bunch of geniuses, plant, discover, and sometimes even rescue wildlife- all to give guests an immersive and unforgettable experience.

I love the Atlanta History Center because Goizueta Gardens is full of significance, beauty and authenticity. Visitors can find plants that have treated illness for a thousand years, a preserved Country Place Era estate created by a master of design, a farm that was spared during the burning of Atlanta—all in 33 acres of leafy respite.

Volunteer Services

Jayme Hogan-Yarbro

I oversee the recruitment, training, and placement of all active volunteers in an effort to engage our community and increase Atlanta History Center’s service capacity. I also coordinate our Intern Program, which takes place in three sessions each year throughout all of our departments.

I love working at Atlanta History Center because I love engaging people in a shared interest, in this case history. In order to become a better community and country, we should examine the past to determine areas of growth and change. I’m proud to be a part of that process here at Atlanta History Center.

Christina Schmitt

I assist the Manager of Volunteer and Intern Services in overseeing recruitment, training, and placement of volunteers at the AHC. I also engage the Youth Ambassador Program and the Junior Interpreter Program and work with them to interact with history and their community.

I am grateful to be a part of the work at the AHC. I appreciate the re-examination of history’s narratives in recognizing that many perspectives of history are incomplete. The Atlanta History Center works towards filling those gaps. The AHC engages the Atlanta’s community in ways that impact citizens while also responding to the ways in which citizens impact it.

ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER'S 2019 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Atlanta History Center is a non-profit, public-benefit organization. The Board of Trustees of the Atlanta History Center serves in the public interest as it relates to the constituent parts of the Atlanta History Center and considers itself accountable to the public as well as the institution. The Board acts as the ultimate governing authority for the Atlanta History Center and is responsible for the formulation and maintenance of its general policies, standards, conditions, and procedures.

2019 Board of Trustees Officers

Jocelyn Hunter

Jocelyn serves as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel with The Home Depot in Atlanta where she is responsible for legal issues relating to Compensation, Benefits, Merchandising, International, Supply Chain, Intellectual Property, Regulatory Affairs and Employment. Additionally, Jocelyn serves as Secretary for the Board’s Compensation Committee. Prior to joining Home Depot, Jocelyn served as Assistant General Counsel at Dun & Bradstreet Software Services, Inc. and as an Associate with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker as well as Mack & Bernstein. Jocelyn is a member of the Board of Trustees with the Alliance Theatre, a Board Member of the American Employment Law Council, a Board Member of the Duke Law Alumni Association and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Duke Law Center for Judicial Studies. Jocelyn also serves as the President of the Atlanta Chapter of The Links Incorporated and is a Fellow with The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Jocelyn was the recipient of the 2013 Georgia Multicultural Leadership Award.

Howard D. Palefsky

Mr. Howard D. Palefsky is a private investor, board member and advisor to healthcare companies.Mr. Palefsky served as the Managing Director, General Partner, and Managing Member from 2002 to 2015 and a Venture Partner from 1999 to 2002 at Montreux Equity Partners. From 1997 to 2002, he served as a Private Investor and Board member of healthcare companies. Over the past 40 years, Mr. Palefsky’s activities have included serving as a CEO, Board Chair and as a Director of numerous public and private companies; providing advice and guidance to companies, entrepreneurs, and managers with regard to industry trends and strategy, and making private investments. Prior to joining Montreux, he served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the NeurogesX Inc. From 1978 -1997 Mr. Palefsky was the Chairman and CEO of Collagen Corporation, a pioneer in the aesthetic medicine area.

Mr. Palefsky holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1971 and a B.S. from the City College of the City University of New York in 1967.Mr. Palefsky serves on the Board of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the 21st Century Foundation of the City College of New York.

Angie Mosier

Angie Mosier is a writer, photographer, stylist, and cook endeavoring to merge all of these skills in a meaningful way. She studied journalism and broadcasting at Georgia State University but her culinary career began over 20 years ago when she started a wedding cake and pastry business and eventually ran her own bakeshop in the Atlanta area for three years. When her creations were photographed for books and magazines, Angie found that she loved the process of making food look good for the camera and began working as a food stylist and eventually a professional photographer. Telling the story of food both visually and with words is important to Angie and through her company, Placemat Productions, serves her clients to build better brands and reach a broad audience.

In addition to being a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and The James Beard Foundation, Angie is a proud member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and is pleased to have served as a past president on its board of directors. She is a native of Atlanta and lives in the historic Grant Park neighborhood with her husband Johnny.

2019 Board of Trustees

Rodney Bullard

Allison Dukes

Allison serves as President, Chairman, and CEO of the Atlanta Division of SunTrust. In this role Allison has responsibility for providing the full complement of SunTrust’s banking products and services as well as coordinating the delivery of the investment banking and capital markets capabilities offered by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey to wholesale banking clients.

Over the course of her career at SunTrust, she has held leadership positions in corporate and investment banking, finance, and private wealth management including managing director and head of syndicated finance originations for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, chief financial officer of consumer banking and private wealth management, and co-head of SunTrust’s national private wealth management business. Allison began her career at SunTrust in 1997 in the corporate banking training program, and rejoined the company in 2002, after serving two years as director of finance at Axiom Global, Inc. in New York.

Allison graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She holds an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University where she graduated with honors from the Executive MBA program.

Allison serves on the Board of Directors for Haverty Furniture Companies Inc. An active member of the Atlanta community, Allison’s civic responsibilities include serving on the boards of Junior Achievement of Georgia, the Alliance Theater, the Atlanta History Center, Midtown Alliance, Camp Twin Lakes, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, the Investment Committee of The Westminster Schools, and she is a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club. She is a Trustee of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, the Camp-Younts Foundation, the Pitts Foundation, and the SunTrust Trusteed Foundations. Allison and her husband, Billy, are both Atlanta natives and parents to two sons.

Ernest Greer

Abby Irby

Sarah Kennedy

Trudy Kremer

Stuart Kronauge

Stuart has recently been appointed to SVP, Brand USA Operations. Her new responsibility is the short and long term management within the US of many of TCCC’s largest brands. The scope covers both Sparkling brands, led by Coca-Cola, as well as Still brands within the water, tea, coffee and sports drinks categories (exs.: PowerAde, DASANI TM, vitaminwater, smartwater, Gold Peak), In this role, her primary assignment is to gain more drinkers and profitability for the Coca-Cola Company and its partners.

Prior to this assignment, Stuart was the SVP of Customer Marketing. In this role, she was responsible for driving mutual sustainable growth (profit & incidence) for our customers and brands by delivering a differentiated value bundle (brands, goods, services & capability), world class customer marketing, category management and innovative delivery systems (Keurig).

Her previous position was the SVP, Sparkling Brands within the Coca-Cola North America Group. In that position, she was responsible for all Sparkling brands within the United States including brands such as Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and others. Stuart was part of the team that returned Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta to growth and kept the continual multi-year growth on Coke Zero.

Prior to this role, Stuart was the head of the Coca-Cola trademark (Coke, Diet Coke & Coke Zero TMs). During her time, Diet Coke was named the second largest US beverage brand behind Coca-Cola.

Previously she was the VP of the Walmart and Sam’s Club US Total Beverage Business for The Coca-Cola Company. Her responsibilities included every aspect of the company’s North American beverage business, field and headquarter-based professionals & combined annual revenue of over $3B.

Stuart assumed the reins of Walmart North America in March 2009 after year and a half tenure as Vice President of Marketing for the team. Her collaborative work with Walmart’s marketing and merchandising leadership garnered her industry recognition for strategic execution of co-equity advertising around summer and Christmas seasonality.

Prior to joining the Walmart North America business in 2007, Stuart successfully held a variety of leadership roles in Coca-Cola marketing and organizational development. Including spearheading an overall reorganization and restructuring of the Coca-Cola North American business division — the Company’s largest operating division in the world.

In addition, Stuart served a year as Executive Assistant to the Coca-Cola North America CMO and EVP she was engaged in high profile Mergers & Acquisition and Marketing initiatives.

Together with her husband, Kurt, she is the proud parent of two daughters and three dogs.

Stuart graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Louise Allen Moore

Louise was the fourth generation of her family to lead the 108 year old office furniture and workspace solutions company. She succeeded her great-grandfather and company founder, Ivan Allen, Sr., her grandfather, the late mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., her uncle, the late Ivan Allen III and her father, H. Inman Allen. Atlanta born and educated in The Westminster Schools, Louise began her business career in California with Goldman Sachs in San Francisco. Her real passion for business developed when she joined an internet company in the mid 90's. When they sold the company five years later, Louise headed to New York where she joined Thompson Financial, a leader in providing e-information and integrated work solutions to the worldwide financial communities.

Louise was asked to take over the daily operations of Ivan Allen Workspace in May of 2005. As CEO, she became the first woman in the Allen family to assume this position and led the company with courage and a passionate dedication toward providing her customers with extraordinary service. She managed to switch manufacturers, buy her family out of the business and ultimately sold the family business to a publicly traded company.

Louise is currently working with the Woodruff Arts Center Annual Corporate Campaign and serves on the Authority Board of Grady Hospital.

Allen Nance

Kathleen Rollins

Teya Ryan

Teya Ryan is a 30-year broadcast media veteran with a career that includes broadcast management, production and content creation. Ms. Ryan brings a wealth of experience to her role as President and Executive Director of GPB Media. Ms. Ryan formerly served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of CNN/US. Before taking on her role with CNN/US, Ms. Ryan served as Executive Vice President and General Manager for CNN Headline News and CNN fn. Ms. Ryan has also generated a series of television “firsts,” including “Talk Back Live,” the first daily live talk show to incorporate interaction via the Internet. While working jointly for CNN and TBS, Ms. Ryan served as the executive producer for “Network Earth,” the first weekly environmental magazine series. During her tenure as Executive Vice President and General Manager for CNN Headline News, she also pioneered the unique multi-element screen as part of the network redesign launched in 2001. As Executive Vice President and General Manager for CNN fn, Ms. Ryan also built the first set for the CNN NewsGroup at both the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. Ms. Ryan’s additional career accomplishments include consulting for PBS on the design of the digital cable network, Public Square. Before joining GPB Media, she led her own multi-platform media company.

In 2012, under her leadership, GPB Media received the Southeast Regional Emmy for Station Excellence and again in 2015. She also received a Womenetics 2012 POW! Award for business innovation. Additionally, Ms. Ryan has won seven Emmys, four Cable Ace Awards and she was named one of the ten most powerful women in media by Crain Media in 2002. Her civic roles include serving as a board member for Oxfam America; serving as a vice president and founding member of The Society for Environmental Journalists; serving as vice president of the board for LEAD International, serving as vice president of the board for the Verde Valley School, a secondary school in Sedona, Arizona; and being active with Women in Film and The Women’s Leadership Forum. She is also a member of Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center Board of Trustees and the Rotary Club of Atlanta.

John Shlesinger

Bentina Chisolm Terry

Governance

Atlanta History Center Vision Statement

The Atlanta History Center connects people, history, and culture.

Atlanta History Center Mission Statement

The Atlanta History Center through its collections, facilities, programs, exhibitions, and publications preserves and interprets historical subjects pertaining to Atlanta and its environs and presents subjects of interest to Atlanta’s diverse audiences.

Donor Privacy Policy

The Atlanta History Center (AHC) deeply values the contributions that our donors make to sustain our mission. To protect the privacy of our donors, we maintain the following policies:

AHC collects and uses personal information such as name, address, phone number, and email address when a donor voluntarily provides it to us.

In addition, AHC keeps a record of each donor’s giving history. This information is kept on file for IRS purposes and is also used by the Development Department for internal analysis and record keeping, and to acknowledge donations and inform donors about upcoming AHC activities.

In addition, AHC does not sell our donor lists to other organizations. When making a donation, donors may request that AHC list them as anonymous or not at all in our publications. Donors may request to not be solicited in the future. Donors may request to not receive informational mailings such as our newsletter.

For further information, please contact:Cheri Snyder, Vice President of Development via email or 404.814.4056.

Donation Requests

The Atlanta History Center supports hundreds of local nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations annually by donating Family Passes to assist in fundraising efforts. Due to the volume of the requests received, organizations must meet the following guidelines to be considered.

Donation requests for charitable events to support nonprofit organizations in the state of Georgia will be considered. Out-of-state requests cannot be fulfilled.

The purpose of the event must emulate the mission of the Atlanta History Center.

Fundraisers to benefit capital expenditures, brick and mortar projects, technology improvements or a specific individual or individual family do not qualify as a charitable cause.

The following examples of charitable causes will be considered:

Historic Preservation

Health and Human Services

Public and Social Benefit

Environmental Issues

Animal Welfare and Wildlife Conservation

All donation requests must be submitted in writing on organization letterhead. A PDF of an actual letter, submitted via e-mail, is acceptable.

Requests must include the name of the nonprofit organization, 501(c)(3) IRS Determination Letter, date of the fundraiser, the purpose and beneficiary of fundraiser, contact name and address to which the donations will be sent. Incomplete requests will be returned.

Requests must be received at least 21 days prior to the event date. Community donations are processed twice a month.

One request per organization, per calendar year, will be considered.

The standard Atlanta History Center donation is one Family Guest Pass, valid for two adults and up to four youth under the age of 18, and has a $115 value.

All requests are evaluated on an individual basis. Submitting a request does not guarantee a donation.

Organizations seeking tickets beyond the standard donation are encouraged to purchase tickets at the group rate for distribution. Discounted group rate tickets are available for purchases of more than 10 tickets. Please contact the Group Sales department at 404.814.4031 to purchase tickets.